Clothespin



June 10, 19410 0. J. FLlELER 3 388 CLOTHESPIN Filed July 15, 1959-Inventor OTTO JAMES FLIELER Patented June 10, 1941 CLOTHE'QPIN OttoJames Flieler, Cloyne, Ontario, Canada, assignor of twenty-five per centto H. 0. Elkington, Plevna, Ontario, Canada Application July 13, 1939,Serial No. 284,265 In Canada July 13, 1938 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a clothes pin and appertainsparticularly to one adapted to be secured in place by a locking clampand thus prevent clothes being torn off the line by strong wind.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes pin formed ofa pair of confronting bars, that serve as jaws, pivotallyconnected by aspring member that normally holds the jaws open and a clamping memberoperating against the action of the spring to lock the jaws closed.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a clothespin of the nature and for the purpose described that is characterized bystructural simplicity, durability, efliciency and low cost ofproduction, being thereby rendered commercially desirable.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall becomeapparent as the description proceeds. the invention resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly describedwhen reference is had to the drawing forming a part of this disclosure,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clothes pin open;

Figure 2 is a similar view thereof of the pin closed, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2.

The device is composed of a pair of confronting companion bars 5 thatare substantially rectangular in cross section. These bars are thickernear the end 6 that serves as a jaw tapering therefrom on the inside tothe far or tail end I. The confronting jaws 6 are bevelled as at 8toward the mouth where their confronting faces are cut out to providethe arcuate seats 9.

About midway of their length the bars 5 have a transverse groove 10 toreceive an interposed transversely arranged coil spring ll whoseopposite ends l2 extend rearwardly and then bend inwards at right anglesto respectively engage the outersides of the bars 5 where shallowgrooves l3 are provided for their accommodation. The bars 5 thus teeteron the coil spring ll Whose overlying ends pinch the tails 1 togethernormally holding the jaws 6 open.

Between the transverse coil spring H and the jaws 6, both bars areperforated as at M, to receive a split pin l5 anchored at the bottom bya keeper I6 and in whose looped upper end IT a spring clamping cammember 18 is confined. The handle end IQ of the clamp is formed as an Sthat continues at its cam clamping end into a spiral 20. The spiral camis slotted centrally in from its end with a deep notch 21 and justbeyond the inner end of this notch is further provided with arectangular perforation 22, the portion between said notch andperforation being confined in the loop I! of the split pin l5.

When the cam member l8, which may be of resilient material, is releasedthe jaws of the clothes pin open under the action of the spring ll sothe device is readily available to apply to the clothes line to hold anarticle securely thereon. When applied to the line, the cam member I8 isoperated by swinging the handle end l9 thereof through an angle ofapproximately on its portion confined in the loop I! of the split pin l5thereby causing the spiral spring fingers of the slotted spiral 20 tobear down on the top of the adjacent bar 5 to close the jaws 6 againstthe spring II.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be manifest that a clothes pin is provided that willfulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device but as manychanges could be made in the above description and many apparentlywidely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit orscope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the saidaccompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limitative or restrictive sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A clothes pin comprising a pair of separate, confronting bars, jawsformed on one end thereof, a transversely disposed coil springtherebetween, on which said bars teeter, normally holding said jawsopen, and a cam locking member held to one bar between the spring andits jaw end and bearing against the outer side of the other of said barsfor closing said jaws against the action of said spring.

2. A clothes pin comprising a pair of separate, confronting bars, jawsformed on one end thereof, a spring between said members normallyholding said jaws open, a split pin passing through said bars betweensaid spring and their normally open end, and a cam member held by saidpin and working against the adjacent bar .to clamp said jaws closed.

3. A clothes pin comprising a pair of separate, confronting bars, jawsformed on one end there- 'of, a spring between said members normallyholding said jaws open, a split pin passing through said bars near theirnormally open end, and a spiral spring cam member held by said pin andWorking against the adjacent bar to clamp said jaws closed.

4. A clothes pin comprising a pair of confronting companion barssubstantially rectangular in cross section, a coil spring disposedtransversely between said bars approximately mid-way of their lengthhaving its ends extended and bent at right angles to engage the outsidesof said respective bars tending to hold the engaged ends of said barsthat teeter on said transverse spring closed and the opposite ends ofsaid bars, that serve as jaws, open; a perforation through both of saidbars between. said transverse spring and the normally open ends, a pinthrough said perforation, a keeper on one end of said pin and a loop. onthe other, and a spring locking cam held in said loop and adapted tooperate against the outer face of the adjacent bar.

5. A clothes pin comprising a pair of separate, confronting barssubstantially rectangular in cross section, jaws formed on one end ofsaid bars, said bars being tapered on their inner sides at the oppositeend to provide bevelled tails,- a

' said spring.

transversely disposed coil spring between said bars approximately midwayof their length on which said bars teeter, arms from said springengaging the outer sides of the bevelled tails of said respective barsnormally holding the jaws open and a cam locking member anchored to onejaw and operating against the outer side of the opposite one for closingsaid jaws against the action of said spring.

6. A clothes pin comprising a pair of separate confronting barssubstantially rectangular in cross section, one end of said bars beingformed as jaws and the other end of said bars being tapered on theirinner sides to provide oppositely bevelled tails, a transverselydisposed coil spring between said bars approximately midway of theirlength on which said bars teeter and an arm from each of the oppositeends of said spring being bent to extend over the outer side of thetapered tails of said respective bars whereby said tapered tails arepinched together so that said bars teetering onsaid transverse coilspring cause the. opposite jaw ends to open, said coil spring and itsextended overlying arms serving also to hold said pair of bars againstaccidental relative displacement, a split pin passing freely throughsaid bars between said spring and their normally open jawends and a cammember held by said pin and working against the adjacent bar to clampsaid jawsclosed against the action of o'r'ro JAMES FLIELER.

